1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for holding a camera or other portable device. It relates more specifically to an apparatus for conveniently suspending a camera from a strap, cord or belt allowing hands-free transport and easy utilization of the camera or device.
2. Discussion of the State of the Art
In the field of photography it is often useful for the photographer to have a camera at hand and ready to use, without the encumbrance of having to manually carry it. Three traditional modes of transportation have been utilized in the past, none of which adequately solves the problem. A camera can be hand carried, it can be attached to a strap about the neck, or it can be carried in a case.
Carrying the camera manually is not always feasible, as many outdoor photographers will attest. A photographer often needs hands to assist in climbing certain terrain, and the camera would not only be a hindrance, but would also quickly fatigue the user. The camera could also be susceptible to damage from being bumped, knocked or dropped, thus ruining the photography expedition altogether. This first and most simple method of transport is therefore also the most difficult and strenuous for the photographer and the most hazardous to the camera or other device.
The suspension of a camera from a strap around the neck can quickly become a cumbersome nuisance or worse, as a freely swinging weight is suspended for long periods from the user's neck. A camera is a sizable item to carry in this fashion, and it becomes tiring to the photographer to do so for long periods of time. The transportation of a camera on a strap around the neck does allow for the camera to be readily at hand, but it also allows the camera to swing too freely and to be subject to smashing either on hard surfaces in the environment or on the body of the photographer, inflicting damage to either the camera or the photographer's person. In order to minimize these possible risks, the photographer typically uses at least one hand to stabilize the camera, thereby losing some of the freedom of movement needed for traversing certain terrain. This second method of transport encumbers the photographer and is fraught with the danger of damaging the camera quite possibly beyond repair.
Carrying a camera or other portable device in a case does allow for safe transportation, but it does not allow the photographer to have the camera or device readily available should the need arise to use it. Although some camera cases are small enough to not be much more of a weight burden than the actual camera itself, most professional camera cases do not fall into this category. Camera cases can be as large and as unwieldy as medium-sized suitcases. These large cases have room for all of the necessary items that a photographer might need, and can be carried by hand via straps or handles or as a backpack on the back. However, neither approach keeps the camera at the ready for spontaneous photographs. This third method for transportation of a camera totally eliminates the possibility of immediate use as for nature or sport photography, or candid photographs as the camera is most definitely not at hand.
A photographer could conceivably use a backpack type of case and also keep a camera on a strap around the neck, which would maintain a camera at hand, but it would be neither comfortable nor safe for the camera. These problems led to the invention of the camera carrier disclosed herein. Effective camera carriers should be able to contain a camera quite safely suspended from a strap, cord or belt located at the discretion of the photographer. A photographer will be able, using the instant invention, to carry a backpack with whatever gear is deemed necessary, have both hands free for climbing or other necessary activities, yet also have a camera safely at the ready for immediate picture taking. The present invention solves all of the aforementioned camera portability problems plaguing today's photographer, whether that photographer is taking photographs of a wedding in progress or a wildlife safari, as will be evident upon reading to those skilled in the art.